There should be stricter rules on and control over chemical safety globally if governments and authorities want to protect children from potential brain damage caused by chemical exposure, scientists have warned.

Four academic institutions across the United States will be awarded grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for researching the impact of chemicals on various biological processes and the potential adverse effect they may have on brain development.

Mergers and acquisitions activity in 2014 for the global chemical industry will likely increase due to downstream value-added opportunities, continued strength in specialty chemicals and portfolio realignments in North America.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board has released its draft report on the investigation of the explosion at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Wash., in April 2010, identifying a "high temperature hydrogen attack," or HTHA, as the cause of the incident.